Nightingale
by DancerOfDanger
Summary: <html><head></head>A song of beauty, power and complete chaos. When a girl is thrown up into the Glade, it's a mystery of itself, especially when she is known simply as, "The Nightingale". The Creators choose to follow not only her brain activity, but her movement, life, and most of all her romantic interests. With a clearing full of teenage boys and hormones who is the Saviour of the Nightingale? OC</html>
1. A Brand New Greenie

Nightingale

****Disclaimer: I do not own The Maze Runner. The only thing I own is the plot that you might not recognise, any OC's you will be introduced to through this story, and on occasion Newt and Thomas because they're just so hot! ;) ****

****Enjoy the first installment of "The Nightingale".****

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><p><span><strong>UNKNOWN P.O.V:<strong>

The sound of a sharp screeching of metal against a concrete wall was enough to make my head hurt and my ears ring. I brought my hands up to cover my ears, and I scrunched my eyes together in pain. Where was I? Who was I?

The screeching soon stopped, so I took this as my chance to explore where I was. My hands ran over the calloused floor, which felt cool to the touch, and grated. I reached the part of the floor which met with the wall, so I brought my hand up the wall, which felt the same as the floor. I looked up slightly to see there was a roof as well, so there was only one evaluation. I was in a box type elevator.

The box started to speed up again, and then hit a blockage of some sort. I lost my balance, and stumbled to the side, hitting my head in the process. I looked up as I heard a loud creaking, but immediately regretted it as light poured in to the tiny dark space. I squinted my eyes, and brought my hand up to cover them. I couldn't see properly, considering the light shone around them, only outlining their silhouettes. One of them jumped down into the box, and I instinctively crawled back into the corner of the elevator.

"Oh my shuck," I heard a voice whisper, the one that was in the box with me.

"What is it Alby?" I heard a different, deeper voice ask.

"You won't believe it, even if I told you," the first boy, Alby replied, his voice rang loud and clear.

"Try me, ya shank!" The second voice laughed, and I heard other people laugh as well.

"It's a girl!" Alby cried up, as I heard gasps of disbelief and astonishment.

"I call dibs!" I heard a voice cry out. My jaw dropped open in shock.

"You can't have dibs! I call dibs!" Another voice cried out in outrage. I don't even know if it was possible for my jaw to drop even further, but I might as well shut them all up.

"Excuse me?! No-one is '_calling_' ownership. Grow up!" I cried. I heard almost all of the arguing grow silent, as the boy in the elevator with me, put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Is she hot?" I heard another voice cry out. Nick looked me over, and I shot him a look of disbelief, disgust and outrage all mixed into one.

"She's smokin'" Alby called up, and I had this sudden urge to smack him across the face.

"Will all you shanks shuck up!?" The deep voice cried out in a commanding voice. I saw Alby tense slightly, so there was only one thing about this voice that I could pin. This man or boy was one that required respect, as his voice rang with authority. Maybe he was their leader?

The boy, who I knew as Alby, grinned up at them and then looked down to my shuddering form. I looked at him, his warm brown eyes, meeting my cold hazel ones. I glared daggers at him, which made him chuckle and shake his head. Oh, how I wanted to hurt him.

He knelt down in front of me, his gaze never once leaving my eyes.

"What's your name greenie?" He asked, as he slowly and cautiously held a hand out in front of me. My brain rattled for my name, but I couldn't remember it for the life of me.

"I-I don't remember." I stuttered as I looked to the ground of the elevator, then back up to Alby's eyes. I was starting to get scared. I didn't know who I was, surrounded by people I didn't even know, and I had no idea where I was? I could be in the middle of a desert for all I know!

"Don't worry, you'll remember in a few days. It was the same for all of us. You can trust us Greenie," he smiled, as he spoke calming yet understanding words.

I took Alby's outstretched hand, and gave him a small smile as he helped me up the rope. A boy with dark skin, grabbed my hand, and helped me up, only letting go to help Nick out of the boxed elevator. I took this as my advantage, and crept up silently behind a boy that looked to be around sixteen, and was at least a head taller than me. I unsheathed the blade that he had in his belt, and held it up defensively in front of me.

All the boys around me, took sharp intakes of breath, and looked to me in a calm yet scared manner.

"Who the hell are you, and what the hell am I doing here? Where the hell is here? Who the hell am I?!" I cried, as I could feel myself bordering on hysterics.

Alby slowly made his way toward me, and held out his hands in a defensive manner, yet in a way that was telling a part of me that he meant no harm, that he wasn't going to hurt me.

"Easy," he began, as he slowly and cautiously made his way toward me. I held the knife up threateningly in front of me. "I don't think I introduced myself. My name is Alby," he whispered, as he stepped closer to me.

"I said stay away!" I yelled, as I slashed carelessly through the air. I heard a groan somewhere to my right, and I dropped the knife in horror, as I saw a red liquid type substance run down a tan limb. I turned away quickly, and ran like my whole life depended on it, which it probably did. I heard calls behind me telling me to come back, and stay away from the maze, whatever that meant.

I stopped briefly, looking around the clearing, and saw two very tall walls, with a gap in between. Finally, an escape. I took off in a sprint, and made it across the clearing in what I assumed was record time, and burst through the concrete walls. I heard screams of protest and what I thought was fear echo through and bounce off the walls. After I turned left and right numerous times, I knew for a fact that I was screwed. My feet pounded on the hard ground, as I turned left and came to an instant stop. Standing in front of me was a dead end, which could only mean one thing. I was in a maze.

I gulped in breath after breath of oxygen, doubled over and placed my hands on my knees. After resting for a few minutes I looked up and finally noticed the intricate design of the maze that I was standing in. Concrete walls towered above me, all covered in a thick vine, that wound its way up the walls, but not fully reaching the top, and little concrete ledges here and there. I spun around in a complete circle, then looked back to the vine littered ground.

"Oh, I am so screwed." I whispered, as I tried to get more oxygen into my lungs.

I turned around and started running again, trying to find a way out, or even back to the clearing with all the teenage boys, but nothing, not one thing looked familiar. But hey, nothing ever looks familiar in a maze right? At least, I don't think so.

I rounded a corner only to run right into a wall, and fell onto the ground. I heard a loud thump, followed by a grunt as the supposed '_wall_' hit the ground. I opened my eyes to see a boy on the ground with shaggy honey blonde hair, chocolate brown eyes, a light tan, and dressed in a dark orange singlet, baggy pants, running shoes, and a water pouch that was strapped to his back.

He groaned in pain, but went silent as soon as his eyes landed on me. Cliché, I know, but he was probably very confused. I scrambled backwards on my hands and feet, but stopped short when I hit a wall. The boy looked at me in pure shock, confusion and sympathy, and slowly stood up from the rock hard floor.

He made his way toward me slowly, and it took all of my restraint not to charge at him, and act like a crazy girl. I could feel my heart as it pounded away in my chest, making me feel restricted, like I couldn't escape. A small whimper escaped my lips, followed by a slight movement of moving myself even further into the wall, which was supposed to be impossible.

"Hey, easy there," the boy whispered, in a slight indistinguishable accent. "My name's Newt. What are you doing all the way out here?" Newt asked, as he made his way slowly and cautiously toward me.

"I don't know, I was scared so I bolted. I thought this was an escape, but I'm lost and I don't know how to get back, and I'm petrified. Please, help me." I whispered, as his eyes looked down to me in a comforting gesture. He knelt down onto the ground in front of him, and he looked deep into my eyes.

"Don't worry. I'm a Runner. I'm going to help you, I promise," I looked into his warm, brown eyes and could only see truth in them. I could trust him, I knew I could, but what would happen when I got back to that clearing? "What's your name?" He asked, as his hands reached out slowly to my elbows, and enclosed around my arms, effectively lifting me up off the damp ground, and to stand straight with him.

"I don't remember. Why don't I remember?" I asked him, my voice cracking halfway through. I was on the edge of hysterics, and I was beyond petrified. I didn't know who I was, where I was, why I was here, what day it was, or who any of those people were, so I wouldn't be surprised if I scared out of my wits.

"Don't worry, it happened to all of us. I'm going to take you back to where you came from, ok? Don't you worry about a thing. You're safe with me," he promised, as we started walking around twists and turns, making sharp lefts and sharp rights. How did he know where he was going?

For the first time since I got to this place, I felt safe, like I could rely on this person walking in front of me, but then again, I didn't actually know who he was.

After turning one last corner, I could see the clearing from where I bolted out of, and boys surrounded the entrance to this maze. They all perked up when they saw Newt and I walking toward them, but one of them looked practically infuriated.

"Greenie!" He yelled. I supposed that was me, by the way everybody was looking at me, so I turned to him, with the most innocent look that I could muster.

"I'm sorry?" I phrased it as a question, as I was completely clueless to what Greenie meant.

"You just ran into the maze. You just broke our main rule. You'll have three nights in the slammer, with only one piece of bread. Do you understand me?" The man practically growled at me. I could feel tears stinging the backs of my eyes, but I wasn't going to back down without a fight, but before I could get up all in his face, Newt stepped in front of me, and placed a protective arm out in front of me.

"Come on Nick. From what I've seen, she's as scared as we all were at one point, and if she came up only today, then she wouldn't know about the rules nor the maze. She was looking for an escape, somewhere to get out of here. How would you feel being a female, and waking up in an unknown compartment, only to find yourself surrounded by hormonal teenage boys as soon as you get out? A human's first instinct when scared is to run, and that's exactly what she did. Don't take it out on her," Newt defended me, and to be honest I wasn't expecting it. He didn't even know me, and he was going up against the man that looked to be in charge of the entire clearing.

"She broke our rules Newt," he yelled.

"Did you even tell them to her?" Newt grinned back cheekily.

"No," Nick admitted reluctantly.

"Then I see no reason why she doesn't go free." Newt smiled, as he clasped a hand on Nick's shoulder. Nick took a deep breath, sighed, and ran a hand through his short brown hair. He then turned to look at me with a stare that could quite possibly, make me curl up in a corner and cry.

"Next time Greenie, you won't be so lucky. Newt won't always be here to save the day." Nick then turned away from me and toward the crowd that had gathered during Newt's speech. "Get back to work, ya shanks!" He cried, as every person in the clearing jumped to attention and wandered away from the double concrete walls.

"Newt," I whispered, as I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around to look at me, and bent his head to look me in the eyes.

"Yeah Greenie?" He asked, as he smiled a cheeky smile.

"Thank you." I thanked him, as I watched his whole body twitch with some sort of anticipation, like he was waiting for something, or someone. I turned around to look back into the intricate twists and turns of the maze, and watched with amazement, as more boys came around the corners. They greeted each other with smiles, and clasps of the hands without breaking their stride, and continued their way out into the clearing.

"Newt, we were looking for you! What happened?" A boy asked. He had brown eyes, tan skin, and dark brown or blackish hair. He looked to be fit, but that was probably needed for what he was doing.

"Sorry Minho, I was running my part of the maze, when the new Greenie jumped out at me. She ran into the maze looking for an escape, she was scared, so I brought her back here. Minho, meet the new Greenie," Newt explained, as he turned toward me, the boy I now knew as Minho turned as well and looked me up and down.

"Got a set of legs on ya, I'll give ya that She-Bean," Minho practically drooled at the sight of my poorly covered legs.

"Thank you?" I replied hesitantly, as I wasn't sure if I was supposed to take that as a compliment, or a very weirdly structured statement.

"Do you remember your name Greenie?" He asked me, as he looked into my hazel eyes.

"No, I really wished I did though, because '_Greenie_' is really starting to annoy me," I replied back sarcastically, and I found it amusing when Newt covered his mouth to stifle a grin.

"Newbie's got a mouth. The Glade just got interesting." Minho smiled, as he jogged off with the other boys, to a weird looking shack at the corner of a set of woods.

"Hey, I'll take you to the Homestead, let you meet up with Jeff, and then I'll leave you in his capable hands, because I still have work to do. Come on Greenie!" He cried, as his hand enclosed around my wrist and dragged me to a two story building that looked like it was going to fall over. The walls were made out of boarded wood, but the ground around the outside was littered with sleeping bags and hammocks. They were stairs that led up to the top of the building, which then split into eight different rooms. I wonder what they're for?

"Jeff!" A boy that looked to be a few years older than I was, came over to greet Newt.

"Hey Newt, how was the Maze?" He asked, as he did a little elaborate handshake with Newt.

"Same old, before this little shank came around the corner and practically barrelled into me," Newt replied, with a slight teasing tone to his voice.

"Sorry?" I laughed, as I stuck my hand out to shake Jeff's. "Hi, I'd tell you my name, but I don't remember. It's nice to meet you though!" I said politely, as I could feel Newt's eyes on the back of my head.

"You'll be right with her Jeff?" Newt asked, as he paced from side to side on his feet.

"Yeah shank, I'll be fine! Get back to work!" Jeff laughed, as Newt smiled and walked out of the homestead, and then practically ran across the clearing to the shack where I saw the other boys go into.

"Have you had your tour yet?" Jeff asked me, as he tidied up a few sleeping bags.

"Ah, no not yet," I replied, as I helped him straighten out some of the used sleeping bags, that looked like a bomb had hit them or something.

"Don't worry, you'll be taken on the tour by either Nick or Alby tomorrow morning," he reassured, as he continued to straighten out the mountain of sleeping bags.

"What about Newt?" I asked subtly, as I straightened up some of the boxes in the corner of the room.

"Nah, Newt's a runner. They leave at dawn to run the maze. Don't tell Nick that I just told you that," he looked at me, and helped me pick up the box that was in the walkway.

"I won't." I promised. Passing the time was hard here, so Jeff and I just continued to clean up around the Homestead. I almost got the shock of my life, when the door opened and teenage boys filled the small room. I was now beyond petrified. I didn't recognise anyone. I couldn't see the person who pulled me out of the elevator, the one that wanted to throw me in the slammer, whatever that was, and I didn't see Newt.

I felt a small pressure on the small of my back, and I almost had a heart-attack. I spun around and kneed whoever touched me in the groin, but regretted it instantly when I saw that it was Newt. Newt lie on the ground, his legs scrunched up close to his chest, his hands around his stomach, with a look of pure pain etched on his face.

"Oh my god! Newt! I'm so sorry!" I cried, as I helped him stand up off the dirty ground. He grimaced slightly, before smiling reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it," he whispered, as he shuffled uncomfortably on his feet.

"Newt!" A voice called out over the mass of noise from the group of boys. Newt turned to a random direction, only to come face to face with the person who wanted to put me in the Slammer. "Did you show her to her room yet, or is she comfortable sleeping outside with the rest of the boys?" He asked, as he leaned closer to us both to be heard better.

"I was gonna tell her, but she turned around and kneed me in the shucking balls!" Newt cried, as he looked at me with an accusatory glance.

"I did say I was sorry." I whispered, as I avoided Newt's and the other boy's glances and smirks.

"It's alright love," Newt reassured as he placed his hand on the opposite side of my waist, and pulled me into his side. I blushed a deep, scarlet red, and resorted to looking at my feet, pushing little dirt clumps around on the ground.

"Do you remember your name yet?" The man asked me.

"No, I don't." I whispered, as I kept my gaze on the ground, as Newt rubbed soothing circles on my hip.

"Hopefully tomorrow, hey? I'm Nick by the way. I'm the leader of these shanks, and the Glade. Since you're the first girl that we've ever had here…" The man I now knew as Nick, explained to me, but I interrupted him when I found out the most important part of my new life.

"Hang on, what? I'm the _only_ girl?" I asked in complete shock. Nick looked a little bit shocked that I had interrupted him, but recovered quite quickly.

"Well yes, but we expect more are coming up throughout the years," Nick explained, as he looked at me with a look of sympathy. Newt pulled me even tighter into the side of his body, which I didn't even know was possible, before continuing to rub circles on my hip. "But since you're a girl, we're going to have one of our medical rooms as a place for you to sleep, until Gally gets around to building you a hut for yourself. Newt will take you up to the room, while myself and the other Keepers talk at the Council Gathering. Be ready to get up early tomorrow for the tour. Night Greenie," Nick winked at me, and I swear I could hear Newt growl, but when I looked at him he looked calm and peaceful.

Newt pulled away from my side, and I practically shivered as the cool air rushed to the warmth of my body.

"Come on, I'll show you to the medical room," he smiled a brief yet glowing smile, entwined his hand with mine and practically dragged me away to where the stairs were. I dropped Newt's hand and ascended the staircase on my own. I stood at the very top for a few minutes, taking in my surroundings when I felt someone brush up against me.

My balance was lacking, I was never a stealthy person, at least I thought I wasn't, so when I went tumbling backwards and down the stairs, I didn't think it was a big shock to me, although it was to everyone else.

"Greenie!" I heard Newt yell, as he raced down the stairs to check on me. He sat me up off the dirty ground, and peered into my hazel eyes. "You ok?" He asked, as his eyes scanned my body for any broken bones.

"I'm fine, and don't call me Greenie," I reassured and practically ordered, as I looked into his dark brown eyes.

"Well, until you remember your name," Newt began, but I cut him off.

"I do. I do remember." I whispered.

Newt looked shocked and confused, but I knew he was awaiting for an answer to the mystery that surrounded me.

"Casydi. My name is Casydi."


	2. Welcome To The Glade

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Maze Runner. The only thing I own is the plot that you might not recognise, any OC's you will be introduced to throughout this story, and on occasion Newt and Thomas because they're just so hot! ;)**

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><p><strong>REVIEW REPLIES<strong>

_**Newtie:**__ First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! So here I am, to try and answer all your questions! Here I go! Yes, Casydi is pronounced like Cassidy. Nick was the leader before Alby, but he was killed under unknown circumstances, but I don't know if I'm going to have him die in the story yet. This takes place three years before Thomas and Teresa, so basically this is exploring their time in the Glade, before escaping, and there are a few surprises along the way. There are around 15-20 boys so far, but more will be going up throughout the story. I hope you like this chapter!_

_**Dauntlessthe testinggreek:**__ First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I updated as quickly as I possibly could, but I have been a little bit busy over the past two months, with final exams, but I am officially finished, so yay! I hope you like this chapter!_

_**Xxshadowwolfyxx:**__ Haha, oh my gosh, that would have been hilarious to see! Thank you so much for reviewing, and keeping an eye out for my story! It was an incredible outcome for the first chapter with over 300 views in the first few days! So way! Happy writer! Hello Amadine! I miss you heaps! I'm going to have to go and read the last few chapters, just to keep up with it again! I hope you like this chapter!_

_**ptl4ver419:**__ First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the world to me! Thank you for your lovely comment! I didn't want Casydi to be like all the other girls from other fanfic's, so I decided to mix it up a little bit, but I love that you liked it so much! I hope you like this chapter!_

_**ElsaAriel:**__ First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I have noticed that I made a few typos and mistakes in the first chapter, which I will go and fix up eventually, but I haven't exactly had the chance! Haha! But don't worry, I will have those errors fixed in the next few days at the least! I hope you like this chapter!_

_**Nereatje:**__ First of all, thank you so much for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I'm so delighted that you like my story so much! I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the first!_

_**Guest:**__ Thank you for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the first!_

_**StarRunner1:**__ Thank you for reviewing! It means the absolute world to me! I like that you found it interesting! What was your favourite part? What did you find interesting? I hope you like this chapter!_

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><p><span><strong>FAVOURITES:<strong>

_**Thank you to;**__ AgnetCoCo, Annabelle4.0, Daiseymaemari-25, ElsaAriel, Emberpapineau, Katiekat1747, Nereatje, PhoenixFire1547, Silver-Assassin7, StarRunner1, That Shuck Griever, amycahill57, basketball4444, foxykitsuneyouko, iristmr, It199798, ptl4ever419, xxkimbobxx!_

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><p><span><strong>FOLLOWERS:<strong>

_**Thank you to;**__ 534667lc, AgnetCoCo, Bobdebob, Daiseymaemari-25, Dauntlessthe testinggreek, ElsaAriel, Emofreak99, Katiekat1747, Nereatje, PhoenixFire1547, Rawr1023, Silver-Assassin7, StarRunner1, That Shuck Griever, foxykitsuneyouko, iristmr, It199798, pibbgotsthis, rosavampyr, royalrabbit,xxkimbobxx, xxwildcatxx!_

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><p><em><strong>Casydi<strong>_

I sat down on a large wooden chair, and had two faces invade my personal space. Ever since I fell down the stairs, _fifteen_ minutes ago, and said that I was fine _multiple_ times, Newt had instantly called over two Med-Jacks. Clint wiggled his fingers in front of me and I watched the tip of his finger, as he dragged it through the air.

"Yea, she'll be fine Newt. No sign of concussion, so she should be fine to spend the night by herself. She might have a headache for the rest of tonight, and around some time tomorrow, but other than that, she'll be fine." Clint finally gave me the all-clear, even though I knew I was fine, like I had told them, _fifteen_ minutes ago.

"See? I told you I was fine Newt!" I cried, as I stood up from the chair. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and it took everything I had not to tumble back down onto the ground. I smiled what I hoped was a convincing grin, and prayed that Newt would believe me.

"Ok, but if you have any trouble at all, just yell out, one of us will come and help you out," he caved in, but still told me what I should do if I needed something in the middle of the night.

"I'm pretty sure I won't have any trouble with sleeping the night away." I teased lightly, as I made my way towards the staircase for the second time that night. I think I will always be afraid of this staircase now. Newt chuckled lightly, before he made his way toward me.

"Now, now love, don't get too ahead of yourself," he teased back, as he winked in my direction. I fought the blush that tried to make its way up the back of my neck, but I remained cool, and that was the only thing I could do, without acting like a total girl.

"Tomorrow Nick is going to give you the tour, then you'll go through your Keeper training, and see where you get placed. I'm hoping you do _not_ become a Runner…" Newt trailed off, as I stopped on the stairs in front of him.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, as I rounded on him with a look of confusion and obvious annoyance.

"Running is the most dangerous job that we could have. The Maze is a place where only few can go. I'm not saying you can't do it because you're a female, I'm just saying that it takes a lot of skill and stamina. I just don't want you to get hurt, ok? You're now a fellow Glader, and Gladers look out for each other," he explained, as he worded his answers carefully. I sighed in distaste, turned around and started to make my way up the stairs again. Why did he want to keep me out of the Maze so much? I've been in there once before. It wasn't that bad! I can take care of myself, I know I can.

"I can look out for myself Newt. I'm not a baby." I whispered as Newt and I made our way to the door of the medical room, which would serve as my salvation for the time being.

"I know you can, but like I said, '_I just don't want you to get hurt'_," he repeated, as he opened the door for me, by pushing it open. I narrowed my eyes at him slightly, before I made my way into the room.

It was large in a way, but it was comfortable. More comfortable than sleeping outside with the rest of the boys, I can assure you. There were two windows in the small room, which both had thin cream curtains hanging over them. Underneath the window on the furthest wall from the door, was a double bed with two fluffy pillows. There was a bedside table next to the bed, with a bunch of flowers lying on the wooden top. There was a hammock in the corner next to the door, and an armchair in the other. There was a small dresser, with a mirror above it and a hairbrush strewn across the top of the dresser. An oil lamp hung from the ceiling, and it burned a beautiful bright light.

"Do you like it?" Newt asked, as he stood closely behind me.

"I love it Newt." I whispered, as I grinned, and walked further into the room. I walked over to the window without the bed underneath and looked out into the darkness of the night. I could hear laughter and yelling, and it was only a few seconds before I realised that the people in this place were a family. They stuck together through the thick and thin, and they helped each other when they needed it. Sure, I was scared, but if I was going to go down, I was going to go down fighting.

"If you need anything Casydi, just let me know. I'm right next door," he whispered, as he placed his hand on the small of my back, and smiled at me.

"Thank you Newt." I smiled back at him, as Newt turned away from me and walked out the door. I walked over to the hammock and lay down in it, the swinging sensation giving me a feeling of serenity, calmness. It wasn't long before I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. At least, I was hoping for it to be peaceful.

_The maze walls loomed above me as I ran and I knew that I was in deep shuck. Vines littered the concrete walls, which had scratches and brands stamped all over them. I heard a loud moan, and a high pitched scream. I skidded to a stop and turned around in a circle, as I looked in every direction. I felt tears stream down my face, as I turned to run back through the ivy covered walls. I didn't know where I was, and I sure as all hell, didn't know how to get back to the clearing in the middle of the Maze. Back to Newt, back to Nick, back to Minho and Alby. _

_I turned around the corner, and screamed in fright, but stopped when I saw that it was Nick._

"_Nick! Thank…" I trailed off, as Nick's eyes trailed up to mine. His eyes were black and shrunken, his skin a pale blue-purple colour, and he had dark blue veins underneath his skin._

"_Nick?" I asked, as I looked into the unfamiliar eyes._

"_Cassie, run," he whispered, as a shiver ran down his body. I spun around and ran for my life, but I stopped suddenly when I felt a searing pain in my stomach. I looked down to see I had a long wooden spear, sticking out of my stomach. I let loose an ear piercing scream._

I sat up quickly in the hammock, which made it swing side to side violently, as I screamed loudly. I fell out of the hammock and onto the hard wooden floor, and sat up again. I felt my stomach with my hands for any wounds, but that stopped when Nick and Newt barged into my room, and knelt down in front of me. I clawed at my stomach, thinking that the wound was real, and the scream was still piercing the air around me.

"Cassie! Cassie, calm down!" Nick yelled, but that only freaked me out more.

"No!" I cried out, as I kicked at Nick's hands and stomach to stop his advances toward me.

"Caz, you need to calm down!" Newt cried, as he managed to get my hands away from my stomach.

"What the shucking hell in all hell is going on up here?!" Minho cried, as he raced into the bedroom, and pulled Nick up onto his feet.

"I don't know, she just started screaming, and wouldn't stop clawing at her stomach. Go and get Clint for us, yeah?" Nick asked Minho. Minho gave a short nod, and sprinted out of the room.

Newt had me calm, and held me close to his chest. He rubbed soothing circles on the small of my back, and ran a hand up and down my arm.

"What happened to her Newt?" I heard Nick ask, as he slowly made his way back over towards us.

"I don't know Nick. She was fine when she went to sleep. Could this be because of her escape into the Maze?" Newt whispered, as he rocked me back and forth, the remains of my nightmare fading into the night.

"I don't know Newt. I really don't know." Nick replied. The sounds faded out, as Newt's repetitive soothing motions made me drift back into a dreamless sleep.

I awoke the next morning, to a gentle prodding in the shoulder. I swiped my hand at my shoulder, and shifted slightly in the hammock. The poking insisted, so I opened my eyes and brought my hand up to shield my eyes away from the light that streamed through the window.

I saw Nick, Newt and Alby all standing near the door. Nick had a long wooden stick and continued to poke me with it in the shoulder.

"What?" I growled out, as I sat up slightly, and pushed the stick away.

"Good thing you told me to bring the stick Newt." I heard Nick whisper, as he pulled the stick away from me.

"Thanks shank! Bloody right to! I didn't know what she would be like to wake up, so I thought it would be a better idea than being too close." Newt replied, as I could practically hear the smile that was on his face.

"_What?_" I growled again, this time louder, and I swear they all just scared the klunk out of themselves.

"It's time to get up Casydi, or you're going to miss breakfast altogether." I heard Alby tell me, but I was still asleep, so I don't think I understood half of it.

"How are you guys so happy at this time of the morning!?" I cried out, as I tried desperately to get them out of my room.

"It's nine o'clock." I heard Newt whisper.

"I'm sorry, what? Why the hell didn't you wake me up before!?" I yelled, as I swung my legs over the side of the hammock quickly, only to pull a very embarrassing stunt and land gracefully on the floor. Oh, how lovely life was.

I heard the boy's snickers and chuckles, but only one of them was nice enough to give me a hand up off the cold floor.

Nick made his way toward me, as his shoulder shook with his supressed laughter.

"Shucks and Shanks, what a graceful decent from our resident Greenie!" Newt cried, as they couldn't hold their laughter back anymore.

"Ha-ha," I laughed sarcastically, "I wouldn't be laughing when your clothes mysteriously disappear the next time you have a shower you shank." I finished, as Nick pulled me up off the ground. The word shank felt foreign, unfamiliar coming out of my mouth, like something was totally and unacceptably different. Maybe I knew this word? Maybe it was a word I knew in the past, but refused to use?

"That sounds weird coming out of your mouth Greenie!" Alby cried, as all of them doubled over with laughter.

"Careful Alby or you'll be next." I glared. The boys seemed to understand what I was threatening, as they all backed away toward the door slowly.

"Get dressed, get some breakfast, and meet me back here. This is where your days begin Greenie! Welcome," Nick started, as he walked toward the door. He stopped and peered over his shoulder at me. "To the Glade," he finished, as he walked out the door, effectively leaving me here alone to my thoughts.

I found Nick easy enough, as he leant against one of the wooden poles of the homestead. His eyes scanned the area around him, before he looked up at the blue, cloudless sky.

"Hey Nick!" I greeted casually, as his head snapped down, and his eyes locked onto mine. It was then that I noticed that Nick was actually very good looking. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a thin figure. He had muscular arms, legs, shoulders and back. His blonde shaggy hair fell slightly in his eyes, but he flicked it away with his long, slender fingers. The sun shone on his blue eyes, and reflected against the darkness of his skin. All in all, he was very attractive.

"Hey Cassie!" Nick replied, as he pushed himself off the wooden pole. "Are you ready for your tour Greenie?" He asked, as he made his way over towards me.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I whispered, as he got even closer. Wow, he was tall.

"So this is the Homestead. This is where we all sleep. The Keepers and Leaders have their rooms, plus some medical rooms, until we expand the Hut. Most of the boys and the other Greenies sleep outside in bedrolls and hammocks, but just to let you know we have Newt, Alby and I taking shifts outside your room to keep them shanks away." Nick pointed to the two story building, that housed all the makeshift beds and the hammocks that were strung between two of the columns that held up the building.

"So the Glade is split up into four parts. One part is the Homestead, the second part is the Deadheads, the third part is the Gardens, and the fourth part is the Bloodhouse. The deadheads are where our Baggers hang out, and also where we bury the ones that die or get themselves banished or trapped in the maze. The Gardens are where we plant the seeds the Creators give us, and that's where Zart, the Keeper of the Track-Hoes, and all the other Track-Hoes slave away," Nick pointed out buildings, people and parts of the Glade like it was the most easiest thing that he had ever done. It was almost like it was rehearsed, like he did it for every Greenie.

"The Bloodhouse is where we keep our animals and slice 'em up for the stews that Frypan makes. Kitchens and bathrooms are located next to the Homestead, which I've already shown you. As you can see the Glade is surrounded by walls. I'll only tell you this once Casydi. Never, and I mean _**NEVER**_ go into that maze. The only time you will be able to go into that maze is if you're trialling as a Runner, or you are a Runner. Do you understand me?" Nick asked, as seriousness etched into his voice.

"Yes," I whispered, as I looked up to the ivy covered iron walls that surrounded the Glade. He must not have heard me, for he shook my shoulder to snap me out of my daze.

"Casydi!" He cried, "do you understand!?" He cried slowly.

"Yes!" I screamed right back at him. I didn't know why he was screaming at me, but I did know that I wasn't going to take any of his shit. "I understand Nick! Now get out of my face before I hit you!" I growled back, as I got all up in his personal space. He looked shocked, but he recovered quickly.

"What do you know Greenie; looks like you'll fit in here after all." Nick nodded, as he looked me up and down in shock and pride. Like he was impressed or something.

"What made you think that I wouldn't?" I asked, as I cocked my head to the side and placed a hand on my hip. Nick looked down to the ground, laughed and shook his head. He then looked back up to my eyes, with a sort of fondness.

"Nothing at all," he whispered, as he started walking towards one of the ivy covered walls.

"What's next?" I asked, as I looked to some of the initial carvings on the walls.

"Now, Casydi, you become a part of the Glade, once and for all," he replied. We came to a stop in front of the wall, which had few names scattered across it, carved into the cool stone.

I recognised Nick, Newt and Alby's messy scrawl, and for the first time since arriving in this hellhole, I felt like I was with people who I could trust, who wouldn't hurt me. Well, at least I hoped.

I felt something cool press into the palm of my hand. At first I was alarmed, as it was sharp and unfamiliar, but when I looked down, I calmed myself, as it was just a carving tool.

"What am I supposed to do with this Nick?" I asked, as I looked at the blade, then back to the boy beside me.

"I want you to carve your name into the wall, and you will officially be a part of the Glade. Now until forever." Nick explained, as his eyes trailed the names on the wall.

I turned my attention away from Nick, and towards the dozens of other names scrawled across the space. I fixed the grip I had on the carving tool and pressed it against the ivy covered walls. I dragged the tool across the walls, effectively carving my name into the stone. My writing was curly and loopy, and neat in a way. It wasn't very easy to write into solid stone.

"Congratulations Casydi, you are now a Glader," he whispered, as he smiled down at me. It was almost as if he was proud or something. That's twice in the space of an hour.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked, as I handed the carving tool back to Nick.

"I'm going to take you to the Kitchens to get something to eat, because you must be starving yourself, am I right?" He asked, as he pocketed the carving tool.

"Yes, I'm positive my stomach is trying to eat itself, so food would be much appreciated!" I laughed as my stomach grumbled in agreement. Nick laughed and shook his head, but grabbed me gently around the wrist and dragged me towards a building next to the Homestead, which Nick had pointed out as the Kitchens.

We walked into the Kitchens, which was sort of set up like a cafeteria. There was space to line up and get food, and picnic tables littered the rest of the space.

"Frypan!" Nick called to an African-American boy, who looked to be around fourteen to fifteen years of age.

"Oh, hey Nick! This must be our newest Glader! Little Casydi, right?" He asked, as he put down the knife he was using and dried his hands on his apron.

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you Frypan!" I smiled, as I held out my hand for him to shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet the girl that Nick and Newt won't shut up about!" Frypan laughed, but shut his mouth quickly when he looked at Nick.

"Let's get you some food, shall we Casydi?" Nick spoke from behind me. He placed his hand on the small of my back, and guided me over to one of the picnic tables that were close to the cooking area. Nick left me for a few seconds, and went over to grab a plate from Frypan. He walked back to the table and placed a plate full of steaming hot, fluff pancakes in front of me.

"Food!" I cried, as I picked up the maple syrup that Frypan had brought over, and drizzled it all over my pancakes. I cut a piece off and popped it into my mouth, and practically moaned in delight. "Frypan, this has got to be the best food that I have ever tasted!" I complimented. Frypan smiled in what I assumed was pride.

"Thank you Casydi! I can see that cooking for you will keep me very entertained!" He laughed, as he went back to making the rest of the meals.

"So Casydi, when you're finished here –" Nick was interrupted halfway as a boy ran into the Kitchens.

"Nick! The box has come up!" He cried. Nick stood up, as confusion and some sort of panic etched across his face.

"What? Are you sure? Are you completely certain?" He asked the boy.

"Very certain! Alby and Newt are checking it now!" He cried, as he then turned around and ran out the door. Nick looked as if he wanted to go with him, so I stood up and made my way towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going Casydi?" He asked, as he wrapped a hand around my upper arm.

"Well, I'm a Glader now right, this means that I have to participate and pull my own weight. Now come on, this sounds urgent!" I responded, as I pulled against Nick with all my weight.

"Ok, ok!" Nick laughed despite all the serious tension that was littering the air around us.

We ran out into the clearing of the Glade, and over to the big group of boys that were surrounding a pit of some sort.

So, I'm pretty sure that I have already established that I am short as hell, so naturally I could fit through tight spaces, and I wouldn't be able to see anything if I was at the back. So I wiggled and squirmed until I was at the front of the group where Nick, Alby and Newt were all standing. They all held a vision of power, confidence and respect.

"_For the Nightingale_?" Newt read off a piece of paper confused. For some reason, that name sounded familiar, like it meant something to me.

"Can I see that Newt?" I asked, as I took the piece of paper that he held out for me to take. I couldn't explain what I felt. There was a sudden rush of energy and a sort of high-pitched ringing, and I knew that something in the box was meant for me. "Where did this note come from Newt?" I asked, as I dropped down into the box with Nick, Alby and Newt.

"That one there, but good luck trying to lift it, everybody's tried and no result," he pointed to a box in a dark corner. I walked over to it slowly, as I felt everybody's eyes on me.

"She's a Greenie! She's not supposed to be in there, and she's not supposed to be snooping around!" I heard a voice yell from outside the box, probably one of the guys that called dibs.

"Oh, shuck up Gally!" I heard Nick growl. There were a few chuckles of laughter, but it all went silent again when I reached the box. I opened the flaps of the box to see brown arrows with blue feathers on the end, and a brown bow. I wrapped my right hand around the bow, and picked it up with ease. I heard gasps from all around me, and I turned around to face the rest of the boys.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"All of us tried to pick that bow up and we struggled to even move it a centimetre! How did you do that?" Newt asked, as Alby and Nick looked on in suspicion.

"I don't know. Nick," I began as I looked back to him, his attention focused solely on me, "what if I'm this '_Nightingale_' character?" I asked, as I stood up from my position on the floor, the bow secured tightly in my hand.

"I don't know Casydi, but you can be as sure as hell that I'm going to find out," he replied, as he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.

"Nick, there's another box here." Alby told us, as he bent down on the other side of the cage.

"What's in it?" Nick asked, as he walked over to Alby.

"Necklaces," he replied, as he held up necklaces with name tags wrapped around the chain.

"Casydi," One was placed in my hand, and to say it was beautiful and confusing would be an understatement. The pendant was a simple silver music note, with a note attached to it.

"_Music will only cause chaos_?" I read off the note, as I held the pendant up in front of my eyes.

"Newt," Alby passed Newt his necklace, and then passed one to Nick.

Newt's pendant was two feathers crossing over each other diagonally in different directions. One silver, one black, simple yet just as confusing as my music note.

"_Your determination will light the way_?" Newt was just as confused as the rest of us. "What does yours say Nick?" Newt asked, as Nick picked the note off his chain.

"_Darkness will be encountered, but it is up to you to save the power_," he replied, as he eyed the pendant that was attached to the chain. I walked over to Nick and took the necklace from Nick.

Nick's pendant was more complex than the rest of ours. Nick's was a blurred silver cross, with one streak of red.

"What does this mean?" Nick asked. Everybody else was getting their pendants and chains, but none of them resembled the same pendants as Nick, Newt and I.

"I don't know Nick, I don't know," I whispered, as I looked him dead in the eye. "I really don't know."


End file.
